Moving-picture process and apparatus.



A. WRIGHT.

MOVING PICTURE PROCESS AND APPARATUS, APPLICATION HLED sums. I913. RENEWED MAY 19.1911.

Patented Dec. 25, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

A. WRIGHT.

MOVING PICTURE PROCESS AND APPARATUS.

APPLICATION mzo sens. I913. azuxwau MAY 19,1911.

Patented Dec. 25,1911

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

3 wu whom a full, clear, and

STATES PATENT QFXGEQ ARTHUR- "WBIGHT, OF NEW YORK, Y.

MOVING-PICTURE PROCESS AND APPARATUS.

Application filed. September 8, 1913, Serial No. 788,523.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR Winorrr, of New York, in the county of New York, and in the State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in ltloving-Picture Processes and Apparatus, and do hereby declare that the following is exact description thereof.

My invention relates particularly to projecting machines for motion pictures which will produce moving pictures free from the flickering efi'ect.

Hitherto motion pictures have been pro duced customarily by projecting one picture after another in a single sequence of PIC- tures, said pictures being projected so rapidly as to give the effect of motion. These pictures have been projected from a single strip of film carrying a single sequence of pictures. For this reason and owing to the fact that it is necessary to retain a particular picture at rest while it is being projected, it has been necessary to entirely cut oil the light between the projections of the successive pictures so that an entirely black unilluminated surface has appeared upon the screen between the successive projections of pictures. This is the cause of the well; known flickering effect. The flickering effect is such a great disadvantage in motion pictures that very many persons will not view them, owing to the eye strain in volved. Furthermore, the flickering effect is the principal remaining element in thev projection of mot1on pictures which gives.

an appearance of unreality to the pictures. In order to render less disagreeable the flickering effect present in the previous pro; duction of motion pictures, motion picture machines have been customarily equipped with additional vanes on the shutters in order to not only interrupt the light and discontinue the projection of a particular picture between successive pictures, that is to say, while the film is being moved from one position to the other, but for the purpose of interrupting the light and discontinuing the projection at intervals during the projectionof a particular picture. 'For this reason the shutter has not only been provided with the vane used for cutting off the light while the film is being moved from one position to the next position, but it has Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 25, 191?. Renewed May 19, 1917. Serial No. leans.

been provided also with one or more additional vanes. Usually such vanes have been three in number so as to divide the entire area of the shutter into six different areas of approximately each, three of the areas being occupied by the vanes and three being open to permit the projection of pictures. It mu therefore be seen that in the projection of pictures as previously carried out the light is removed from the screen approximately one half of the time.

The object of my invention is to provide a motion picture projecting machine which is adapted to project pictures from a strip of film which may carry a single sequence of pictures in such a manner as to entirely do away with the flickering effect. An apparatus made in accordance with my invention will therefore avoid all of the above disadvantages. A projecting machine made in accordance with my invention will promore, it will produce pictures having a far greater degree of reality in their appearance, inasmuch'as the pictures will be produced without the disconcerting change of intensity of the light and without the unilluminated intervals which are frequently very disturbing and which are calculated to divert the attention of the observer from the subject-matter of the picture.

Again, motion pictures projected with my machine will be at least twice as brilliant as pictures projected by previous machines, inasmuch as the total amount oit' light thrown upon the screen by my projecting machine is doubled. My projecting machine will therefore accomplish not only the result of avoiding the illckermg eilect which-1s so unpleasant 1n the pro ection of'motion pic- .turesfas'shitherto carried out, but will pro duce day-light pictures far better than previous devices.

Again by the use of my projecting machine't-hc film can be-run' more slowly than in previous projecting machines. For this reason shorter films may be used for a given subject and longer subjects can be produced on films of a, given length than previously. This makes my invention particularly advantageous in projecting colored pictures as owing to the slowness with which the uicebn'neeted to a 11min fifqlne 4: of anyHe' SiL -ed s aitf l The 1111mm dr vin shaft mi fit ini h hv e o th A d r roller supported .adj z'lc'ent -to'th'e surface I of the feed 'roller :ZIpbjffbing; supported Y upoii'a' levet 30. pivoted upon-an axle-31 I g e j'QfIthef disk s. 251 toieoiipei a te. with the ,pin 22.

supported in the main frame. The lever 30 has a literally directed tongue 32 toenla'ble the teller 29 t0 'bewithdmwn when desired against the; force :of a sppingf133, whichpresse:sfagaflinst a leg- 34 atta ch'ed towthe 1e v61") 30., Thes ring 33 is s'uppoitfted frOiI i the I iiy a screw 35, or many other at manner esito bring; one picture; after Ian-x,

ether in f 'I' II t -Of the xnein;]ppejeeting lens fihn' hioiied dqw'fiwaidly in the {manner indicated betW'een' abuse 36 and a door 37' li ihg'edito 011e side0fj said.- base 36'. The door 37fearries a f1a1new3 8 fO1iedmitting "light to the film. A sprihgipre ssed (iatch 39mai n tainsRt-he c1001 37 'in closed positien. Before the film reaches the base 36 2x116 the door I 37, it passes qy'er a, gjiide' teller 4:0, which-is carried in pitotsj 1 n the 'upp er'fend 6f the (1601-37. Un -the: frpfitpf the, mainframe 411 prO Vi de a mziin] len s 'fil fer pi'ejeting'fthe pictures from v the-'pqrfiion of the film located ed upon the i sclfee ni f In order t6, accomplish I this-end; 1 'pi-qv'id an ddditibnet Wheel 42, similar in sh'ape- 'tdT'the m'fheel 231 and adaptcarried upon at nge 4,- sa-1d shaft aying falsova ge'a'li i' i-t il n t h'i di' b 9 aspi n T '52; [co 'ipe fat iilg'wilth i1 lug-353 upon 'Oneof the lev rs, 4' The "feed lfo llfelfij 49 and Qthe guide ll r 1 e ifl ef d w w rd nii t mitten'tly'id'uiihg-thjntelivzlls when the-feed LTpQxpI-ihefdbgr- 55 th ere -is'a fralile 56, 'Siiili'lfilill copstru'ct-ion .toft-he frame 38. Attached tothe tOp 0f' the door 55. there is'also guide'frelle'l p 57;."sim' il'a1i t01-the fgliide roller 40 A 1en s'a58I-p1f jeet thepietpres from; the 1 portion ofsthe-film, which, is located between the base 5-1: a'nd'the 6001-55.. -3S3i'd lens 58 is plvotally su port'ed upon a carriage 59, situdriye's a series I s slippbrtedilpon z't fstud s ha ft; .which cari-ies jeed 'zr'ollei'f 149 similar "in f .ednstrliction. t0 the{6E3 dJYOHE If 2 2313116;ifllIL ime same pee w 19 edfto wapemfegwith' the-'di k-QO, and the pin able bracket 0;; of the usu ated upon the main frame 4: in such man-- nor that the lower portion thereof is ca upon pivots 60, While the upper portion thereof is'retained in position by an adj ing screw 61; passing through "32 and 63, located upon the carriage 59 and the main frame respectively. Adjusting screws (34 and 65 are provided for the lenses 41 and 58, respectively, so as to change the focus of the projected pictures upon the screen. In order to feed the downwardly from the upper reel box 5 I provide a feed roller 6 carried upon a stud shaft 67, said shaft having a pulley Which-is connected by a band 60 to a pulley on a stud shaft i the main frame and having a gear 72, which meshes with the gear 1 1. Coopeatiug with the feed roller 80; there is a guide roller T3, supported in pivoted arms H, pivoted, to the main 4i and having :1 lug adjacent to a spr."

for normally pressing the guide roller 3'55 into cooperation with the feed roller 60, To the rear of the main bracket 3 attach a bracket '77 by means 0;? a vertcal pivot 38. An ear 7? attached to the main bracket 3 and a similar our attached to the bracket 77 are arranged with registering slots to receive a thumb screw 81, as to adjust t relative positions of the main bracket 1 the'rear bracket 7-? and maintain them in their adjusted position At the bottom of the rear bracket '1'? I. provide a' slotte". extension 82, having a split end and an adjusting screw 83, said slotted extension. heing designed to receive a tongue 8% extend ing laterally from the pedestal 1. [a housing for the lighting apparatus is p1'o-- videcl at the rear of the bracket 77' so as to be adjustahly fixed thereon in any desired manner. (londensers 80 and 8'? are provided at suitable elevations opposite the lenses s1 and 58. These condensers are supported upon horiiontal slide bars 88 and 89 so as to permit the condeusersto be adjusted as desired. In the rear of the housing 85 1 provide a sliding bracket 90, which is adapted to be adjusted for 'ardly and rearu'ardly by means of a hand operated screw 91, having a hand operating who 31 91 screw can rying'a viol ns Wheel 92, which cooperates with a rack fixed to the inside of the lions ing '85. Said sliding bracket 001151;, means for supporting adjustable carbons The lower carbon 91 is supported n an at inst; 'nd which bracket 95 is secured to a sliding rach carried in guide ways 97, attached to the bracket 90. The rack 96 is moved by a gear 98, which is operated by hand Wheel 99 supported upon the bracket 90. A similar adjustable bracket 100 is provided for the upper carbon 94, said adjustable hr ket 190 being supported upon a vertically movable rack 101, carried in the guide ays 9? and a itional guide ways 10?. A. gear 103 is 'ded for moving the rock 101 as desired,

being connected with a hand-operatin wheel 104:, At the top of the bracket so not a mirror 105 by means of a pivoted 51 ppm-t 106 which is adapted to be moved into any desired angular position by means i a screw 107, passing through an car 108 upon the bracket and a similar ear 100 upon the support 106. Said support 106- laterally directed recessed time 1.10 to receive the lower edge of the mirror 105 and the upper edge of the mirror 105 is retained in place bye removable recesse arm 111 which arm is secured to the support 1.10 by a thumb screw 112. I also provide a shutter 113, which is arranged so as to I; ibit pictures from the lenses ll. and in the m nner previously described. For this purpo toe shutter is provided with an im 11' noon when 11 1 to receive pictures projected from, the lens 11 and a similar i'rmrginal open portion 115 to receive pictures projected from the other ions 58.

shaft 116, which carries a beveled gear 117,

meshing with a beveled gear 118, located upon the shaft 19. Said shaft 19 also carries at the end thereof a flywheel 119.

onetration of my projecting machine is as follows: The apparatus is first set up in such a nwnner that the projections from the two l" es lland 58 will occupy the same rectaug 1 field on the screen, and the various adjustable portions of the light projecting apparatus are adjusted in such a manner to throw the light through the frames 38 and 56 so to project the light through the lenses +11 and 58 up on the screen. lower lens 11 is adjusted so as to throw a sharp picture upon the screen. ilhelens 51:3 n'ia however, also be focused to throw sharp image on the screen but is preferably sofocused, as to impair vor destrt the definition of the image thrown upon the screen through the same. Furthermore, it so desired, theprojected fields v i- L i 1115f t n,

indicatezh is of course to be understood that this may be accomplished in any other desired manner. Tue pictures which are projected in. this manner will appear as continuously moving pictures without any apparcn ariation in the light quantities upon the screen so that the flickering effect will be einii'ely removed. The pictures, furthermore, have such a smooth appearance as to thli Pfodiieijn light pictures are avoide 35 the 'cesefiof ,pictures pro ected with icontinual jAgaim; prev-i the;.. ntensit'y b'fit'hej image-- il ei' p f i fi a l -"doubled,Q I ceedin'glyieifective -}Fday.-; .The light throwni upon the screen'thi'ough; the, lens '58' willnot; produce the 3' effect 'ofgpifctil res up n; the eye, when 1 viewed in co I'1I 1'e'ct'i0n-,.v'vi'th the projections from the lens lythough theyxmight' produce? such effect "when viewed a1'one'.';-' This result. I

will also be prodnced for-the Teas'oflthlt the li ghtfrom .thelens f .58 willbe projected upon 7 -Sixth of 2the t1me,-. alth u hthis-impea hm y e-varied;an. Will,= .w hile the 'i'otiiree from the lene 4: ].1w'ill b thrown upon f the screen. the Iemai'n'ing five-six'ths oi the. time. 1 This result willbalsofl I be obtain "(1 because (if-"i1 ght y. l ss-i1 'tensity of jthefllight projected on the ijscreen' 1 through -th'e: Liens as thei' light; 'Wh-icli- I j rea cheS the condenser '87 from the carbon's Ji is, somw h file's s.thanQthe light passing through thecondenser .86.

Owingftofithe factth"'tlthe filni mayhem a i e subject I havethueldeecribed'oneiillustietiveexg ample of an iia ppa'i'etusj. Which-Finely: be made in a c rd nceiw th my i vetiomzbu a fiii'i tobe understoridjtmt tl' det paratusx may; be) fenti sired, end} clianged'-='in I .p'roi ti. g I

example, :i '1 r'iS t" be 15 under'sto of projecting the. subsequent terva'ls, fol? b'ot hf-subsequen actet, .=maykb made} as; tofthe details, "and -ar-' rangernent ofthe .eppapamsy-above described] [my n? w thout e a tingim *the spirit .outof its'xorderj in thelint'eifval of obscuration between successive "pictures of the "sequence.

tweeiisuccess ve 'pictu 28:1. r I e ton -projecting iiotionjjpictureefo r-eggiven I ipre edia n h 111: Isuciiin a nd' rece i t p r j. QP J e' e f l l t illqlislyfin 3,111 the; sequence -but;j'out. oft s :Qld'e thet chenges -.".in.terval of. fobsc of ny d fe n k a- 'ir i ed cha r 'a wavi 0 ,4 proi 't g 'fme' ih i mumsgen'a me nsj for] PllOjQCt-I- ilxtely operable. projecting ingI-a ipicture zlike ."one in; the sequenc but other to pr length ofti ne fre n a sequence of pictures and mean iafonpro ecting a Picture like one in the" sequence butg t of. ts order for a. shorter length .of. time .inth'e inte1 val. of obscuration between successive pictures of the Sequence. '-1. p

" .3. In combination; piq cjt ng mime for projecting fmotion pictures with a, given intensity" and" means for .proj ectinge plctui'e likeione in the sequence butfoutlof .itgjo'rder vvith a lesser intensity inthe inteirvelo'fobsjcuration between successive pictures of the 1 sequence.

.45. In -clombination; ha pifoj machine f0 'pro ect1ng. motion pictures for. a :given 'or'derfor ,a. Smaller length (if-1311119 and intensityi'n'the interval of; obscuretionbetween successivepic'tures of the sequence.

, 5. In 'combinationg;, a; 1 pro ectin inachine for; projectingfmotion 'p ict ures; em al ise- :quence of pictures and rneaneffol projeeting a picture} with impaired :definition'like 'one I in the. sequence'butout 'of-its' .orde1 in; the

inter/veil of" obscuration-1 between' successive pictures: pf 3 the 's'equene.

6. In combination,egprojectingmachine gfor -p r oje.ctii1g niotionjipicturee ffor. given length .i'offtinie z f ro m al-sequencezpf[pictures and 'n'ciea nsfor; Ipropcting apicture; with imtime n'ithe interval of obfsj'cui atiofn between with .g1ven ting ii picture .quence but out' offrits foi'dep 'vyith les'ser ii'ntenei ya: in the interyztl a. i ure ,zsinalle'r length offtime and} nteneity .urthe nation "between" successivepictures fof"the} sequence; I V

omprising- .tw

tures while at J- res which 18 adapted to pro ect pictures 161 longer intervale' than the other' and-the eject pictures, in the interval of obscuration. j

10. In combination, a pro ectmg machine for a p s y a terni y tepping -.t a .;-and m ans fqnmai 1 teiningLJ-the screen; continuously illuminated .x r dm e meportic f OffobSOufation beprocess which comprises projecti otnres from a sequence of pietures, and projecting picture like one in the sequence but out or its order in the in rval. of ob curation between the successive pictures 0;. the sequence.

ccss which comprises project- .ures from a sequence of piciecting a picture like one in but out oi? its order for a of time in the interval of obmen the successive pictures of .ence.

The process which comprises projecting motion pictures from a sequence of pictures, and projecting a picture like one in the sequence, but out oi its order with a two. intensity in the interval of obscuration oe the successive pictures of the sequence.

14. The process which comprises project ing motion pictures from a sequence of pieunclpro'ccting a picture like one in I the sequence v ut out of its order for a smaller length of time and intensity, in the interval of obscuration between the successive pictures of the sequence.

- 7 l5. process which comprises projecting motion pictures from a sequence of pietures, and projecting a picture with impaired definition like one in the sequence, but out of its order in the interval of obscuration between the successive pictures of m c bile se uence.

Rocco-n o. T he process which comprises projecting motion pictures from a sequence of pic tures, and projecting a picture with impaired definition like one in the sequence, but out of its order for a shorter length of time in the interval of obscuration between the successive pictures of the sequence.

17. The process which comprises projecttion motion pictures from a sequence of pietures, and projecting 21 picture with .impaired definition like one in the sequence, but out of its order, with a lesser intensity in the interval of obscuration between the successive pictures of the sequence.

18. The process which comprises projecting motion pictures from a sequence of pictures, and projecting a picture with in:- paired definition like one in the sequence, but out of its order, for a smaller length of time and intensity, in the interval of obscuration between the successive pictures of the sequence.

19. The process which comprises projecting motion pictures from a single sequence of pictures so as to produce the visual effect of motion by projecting'the pictures in their sequential. order and maintaining the sequence illuminated with substantially the same relative degrees of light and. shadow as in the motion pictures in the periods of obscuration by projecting pictures from said sequence, but out of the sequential order in which they were pr jected to give the effect of motion. h

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand.

A ARTHUR WRIGHT.

Witnesses VIOLET G. Ltosm, SAMUEL SCHWARTZMAN. 

